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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938690">Guardian</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADudeSomewhere/pseuds/ADudeSomewhere'>ADudeSomewhere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Chara isn't an asshole, Female Frisk, Gen, Kinda, Li'l bit of meta, More tags might be added, Some Fluff, Some angst, Too Lazy, but probably not, meta stuff is normal, possible flirting, technically</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:34:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,326</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26938690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADudeSomewhere/pseuds/ADudeSomewhere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Frisk takes a little too long to fall into The Underground and accidentally drags someone down with them into the time loop. Oops.</p><p>Maybe they can help fix it once and for all? Or will they end up forcing more resets?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alphys &amp; Undyne (Undertale), But mostly the main cast, Frisk &amp; a lot of people, Papyrus &amp; Sans (Undertale), Papyrus &amp; Undyne (Undertale), possible background romances</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Brink</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The beginning</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Frisk was there again. Teetering on the precipice. It was like this whenever a “proper” Reset happened. Usually only whenever something went wrong, or when they hit the end of the line.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, she’d stop being able to keep her balance and fall in. That’s what always happened, even the few times they’d tried to turn and leave. Even when they managed to steady themselves, or grab onto something to try and pull themself up with, it collapsed or crumbled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was thinking. Maybe she should just… stay underground for a while this time. It was nice down there, and she had friends… or at least she would, soon. Every time she left, one way or another, she ended up back here. The furthest she ever got was seeing the sunset, and telling Toriel she’d stay, then going down the mountain and falling asleep in a tent… then she was back here, almost without noticing. She hadn’t done that again. It made her feel sad, just thinking about doing all agin, only to have her friend’s happiness ripped away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk was holding her balance far, far better than usual this time. It had become something of a game to her, seeing how long she could teeter on the edge. Her previous record of five minutes had been utterly shattered, as she had teetered for at least ten by now</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Eventually, however, she heard the ever expected cracking of loose rock below her, signaling that her time on the edge was over soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What she didn’t expect was a gruff, panicked voice yelling “DON’T JUMP!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk was in utter shock, and as she tripped, she looked over her shoulder to see a looming figure running at her, full tilt, arm outstretched to grab her. She fell, but the figure’s hand grabbed hers. She felt herself being hauled up. Was this finally the end? Was she out of the underground for good, now?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hold on kid, just give me a second and I’ll have you back up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rock cracked again, crumbling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah, no, it appears that she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>getting out. She fell, and the figure came with her, pulling her into itself as they fell into the underground.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Landing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frisk lands.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Frisk landed in the flower bed with a thump, like always. What was a generally odd experience was just how loud the thump was. And how soft the landing was.</p><p> </p><p>Normally, falling down into the underground wasn’t exactly pleasant. Despite the flowers and soft, loamy soil cushioning their fall, they rarely landed without a scrape or two, and oftentimes they almost broke something. Occasionally she had, and once, she had actually died soon after landing. It was kind of funny to her, that one was. She could see Flowey, and the look of complete, utter disappointment and shock on his face after he impatiently popped up in the flowerbed wondering why she hadn’t shown up yet, just before she died and reloaded.</p><p> </p><p>But, this landing wasn’t near as bad as most. As she got up, she could see why.</p><p> </p><p>The figure from the cave turned out to be a person. A Human. Oh. This is bad. The human (A man, almost certainly. Frisk hadn’t seen another human for as long as she’d been in this loop, but she was still almost entirely sure that human women didn’t tend to have beards.) was tall, and seemed quite skinny. And wasn’t moving much. Just the up and down chest movement of someone breathing and a senseless, repeated whisper that sounded a lot like ”ow”.</p><p> </p><p>Frisk took a moment to look at their surroundings. The only thing different then usual (other than the other human) was that rather than one stick, there were two. There was hers, and then there was one that was almost as tall as her.</p><p> </p><p>She picked it up, stumbling a bit as she tried to hold it. It was smooth, and didn’t have any bark, or sharp knots, and one end was dirty and covered in scratches, while the other seemed to have a handle. It must have been the other human’s.</p><p> </p><p>Frisk turned to leave after picking up her own stick, then froze. What should she do about the other human? She couldn’t just leave them there, they might get hurt! Even more hurt, that is. Or, even worse, they might hurt someone else. </p><p> </p><p>She needed advice. And, unfortunately, she had one choice that was any good, at least right now.</p><p> </p><p>“Chara?” she whispered.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Yes? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“What do I do?”</p><p> </p><p><em> About what? </em> Came the response, with a hint of humor in their voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Them,” Frisk thought, gesturing toward the human lying on the ground.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh, them? Didn’t even notice. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Can you help me check if they’re...”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Going to kill anyone? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“N-No, i just wanted to know if they’re...”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Going to kill anyone. Well, get up, take a closer look for me, will you? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Frisk, at Chara’s behest, moves closer to the other human, now unconscious.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> *Check </em>
</p><p>
  <em><span>*Unconscious</span> Human - ? ATK ? DEF ? LV </em>
</p><p>
  <em> *Past his prime. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> *Won’t hurt anyone anymore. Probably. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> *Wake him up if you want me to be more specific. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Anymore?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hey, that’s all that I can get from him asleep. I might be able to read people like a book, but it’s easier if the book’s open. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“No, I mean from your description.”</p><p> </p><p><em> He must’ve hurt someone, and decided not to anymore. </em> They gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. <em> Besides, you need to get going. </em></p><p> </p><p>“But what about-”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Just leave him. We both know you’re too much of a softie to let anyone get hurt, and Toriel will fix him up. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Frisk walked out of the room, into the area where they normally first encountered Flowey. They probably left after seeing Toriel pop by. It had happened before, on very rare occasion, them waiting too long and missing Toriel. She usually found them wandering around the ruins whenever that happened. But, she couldn’t afford to wait.</p><p> </p><p>“Flowey, are you there?”</p><p> </p><p>No response, he had probably left to mess with Papyrus or something and wait for her to leave the ruins.</p><p> </p><p>No matter, she did have to find Toriel, though, she couldn’t move the other human by herself(not counting Chara, they may give good moral support, but they inhabited the same body).</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Chara,” Frisk said, quietly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oooh, you’re talking to me twice in a row! How uncommon. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think it would be a good idea to… wake them up?”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> But why? Didn’t you want to find Toriel first? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I did, but if they’re hurt, it’s better to move them now so they can get to Toriel sooner. Besides,” she grinned, ”If Toriel hears about TWO humans wandering the ruins, she’ll come running!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I like the way you think, partner. </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Wakey Wakey...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Frisk finally wakes up the other Human.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Frisk was back in the flower room, with the other human. They were sleeping peacefully at the moment, despite the pain they were apparently in just a few moments ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How should I do this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chara didn’t answer. They were probably napping.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmmm.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She decided to simply poke him with her stick. It should work well enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*poke*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She poked him in the shin and he didn’t move. Maybe higher?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*poke*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“JUMPING JESUS ON A HOT TIN ROOF!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That one worked. The second the stick touched his leg, he shot up, eyes wide, head whipping back and forth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk jumped back, startled, eyes almost equally wide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Sorry. Did-uh...Didn’t mean to scare you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk took a look at his face. It was partially shadowed by his hair, and most of what wasn’t was covered by a bushy, gray-brown beard. But what she could see of it was lean, worn, and wrinkled. He looked… scruffy. No, old. That was the best word for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, looking over at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk nodded. They were fine, he’d broken their fall. Frisk pointed at them, cocking their head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, good.” He looked at her, looking at him. ”Uhh, what’re you lookin’ n’ pointin’ at me for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A-are you okay too?” Frisk stuttered out. Most people didn’t know, with how outgoing she usually was underground, but she was actually nervous about talking to people. Most of the people underground didn’t count in her mind, seeing as the resets meant that even meeting them for the first time, she knew them inside and out and was rather comfortable discussing just about anything with at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>one of</span>
  </em>
  <span> the monsters.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this was not a monster, who could generally be relied upon to be good people, nor even someone she knew, this was another HUMAN, who, to her firsthand knowledge, had a massive capacity to be utter bastards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, some of that opinion was probably Chara, and the wording definitely was, but the point still stood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine kid, but thanks for asking.” He said, ginning widely, shaking her out of her reverie.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His grin was… pained. Frisk might not know him well specifically, but she knew that expression depressingly well, even if she hadn’t seen it from someone in physical pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Could you help me up? These old knees don’t bend so good anymore, ‘specially not after a tumble like that, heh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yeah, Frisk knew that expression and way of talking well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grab my hand and start walking backwards, would you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk did as she was asked, and tried to help pull him up, but he couldn’t seem to get his feet under him. He mostly just got pulled forward a few inches.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Can you get me my walking stick? You’re strong for your size, but you need to be tall enough to pull up, not forward, n’ I don’t see any stilts ‘round here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk, suppressing a chuckle, ran over, picked up the stick, and wobbled back over, having to cradle it with two arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, kid. Just needed soME! HHNGH! SOME LEVERAGE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was not the sounds or words someone made when they were okay. She was also pretty sure that most people were able to get up without yelling like they were trying to suplex a tree (Undyne was her reference for that one).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But hey! They were on their feet now, which was good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now that they were standing, Frisk could see that the other human was tall. Probably not quite so tall as a few of the monsters in the underground, but it was hard to tell when they were hunched over, leaning on their stick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-Thanks for the help kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their smile was weak, clearly more of a grimace at this point, but they were still trying, which Frisk appreciated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They took a few steps, leaning heavily on their stick. Frisk almost didn’t hear the sharp breaths that they took. The human’s smile went wider.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See kid, I’m fine. A fall like that isn’t enough to do me in. Although,” He looks at Frisk, “I know I don’t exactly look like it.” He smiles. ”Nice to see that I caught ya kid.” The smile turns into a frown. ”You are fine, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-Yeah.” Frisk really hadn’t wanted to ask, after so long around people who just kind of introduced themselves unprompted, but… ”What’s your name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Johnathan Brooke, at your service, professional fall breaker,” he said, bending over to almost Frisk’s height with an exaggerated grimace. Frisk couldn’t help but giggle at the black humor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you can call me John. Or Mr. Brooke, if you wanna be formal,” He said, glancing around. ”But I don’t see anyplace that needs a suit n’ tie around here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk snickered at that one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s your name then? Don’t wanna call you ’kid’, not all the time. It’d be weird, ya know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Frisk!” Much as they didn’t like talking, it was refreshing introducing themselves to someone. Not counting… that time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Frisk. It’s a bit weird, I’ve heard stranger,” He said, grinned ”Besides, better weird than boring!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk didn’t know whether to feel insulted or complimented. She decided on the latter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what now, Frisk? ‘Ve you seen my bag anywhere? It had lots of useful stuff in it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk didn’t usually take too much of a look around the flower room, but she decided to take a look this time. Whatever “useful” meant in this context, she didn’t know, but she was curious. Was it human food? There wasn’t much in the underground that came down mostly intact.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She found it, hanging on a root sticking out of the side of the wall. Much too high for her to reach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I think I found it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John turned around with a smile, though it soon faded one he took a look at how high up it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...We can get that later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk could tell that he wanted it, and Frisk reckoned that if he straightened up and reached with his stick, he could probably unhook it. Either there was something fragile in there, or, much more likely, he wasn’t as okay as he said he was. She was right, she needed to get him to Toriel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think we should stay here? Can’t imagine that people wouldn’t be looking for you. But...” He says looking up the hole, and the slight overhang of a cave roof at the surface. Perfect, they could get moving soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-we should get moving. Trust me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What makes you so sure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-I think there’s people down here, I saw an archway down there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pointed down the passage to where they left to meet Flowey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh. Seeing as you’ve already taken a walk, lead the way, kid!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Ruins Proper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They enter the actual ruins, Frisk panics, and John snicker at some bad jokes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dark in here.”</p><p> </p><p>Frisk wasn’t used to such constant narration. Chara did narrate, occasionally, but only when they did or looked at something interesting. Most of the time, it was silence. But not anymore, now they had a constant narrator.</p><p> </p><p> They kept walking. As they walked into the ruins proper, John took a look around and whistled. </p><p> </p><p>“I amend my earlier statement. ‘S purple in here.”</p><p> </p><p>Frisk ran up the steps, two by two, not bothering to save. There would be nothing dangerous before the next save point, and they were excited to see Toriel and get some help.</p><p> </p><p>“Slow down there, I’m not as fast as I used to be,” he said, though with humor.</p><p>He had barely made it to the staircase at that point, and as he made to take a step, his head whipped around. ‘What was that?’ They had thought they saw a flash of light. He shook his head, they must’ve landed harder than they thought.</p><p> </p><p>Frisk didn’t notice.</p><p> </p><p>Frisk was already at the door of the next room when he walked in.</p><p> </p><p>“H-Hey, I think this door is opened by those floor plates.”</p><p> </p><p>“...So why didn’t you open the door?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s some kind of puzzle, I don’t know how to solve it.”</p><p>They very well could solve it, they simply wanted to know if he could.</p><p> </p><p>“Haven’t used the old think’n noodle for a while. Lemme see what I can do.”</p><p> </p><p>He took a long look at the floor plates, then another look at the broad, slightly lighter line on the ground, and held his chin, deep in thought for a moment… before solving it practically the second after they started moving.</p><p> </p><p>Frisk was impressed, they wondered how they figured out how to do it, if not from memory or reading the sign, then how?</p><p> </p><p>“How’d you figure it out so quick?”</p><p> </p><p>“I looked at the pattern and made a guess that they didn’t want their front door too complicated. It was 50/50 between the middle and the outside, and I got lucky.”</p><p> </p><p>Huh. It made sense. And it told them that they were at least as smart as they seemed (about average). They went to the next room. It was the one with the labeled levers, the literal easiest puzzle in the Underground. Unless you counted the rock puzzles, which she didn’t.</p><p> </p><p>==================================================================</p><p> </p><p>As they walked in, John took a moment to read the signs.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Look at a sign to read a sign.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>And, humorously,</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Stay on the path.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>Was, of course, posted on a wall well off of the path. He could get behind whoever had a sense of humor like this.</p><p> </p><p>==================================================================</p><p> </p><p>Frisk walked to the end of the room, flipping the appropriately labelled switches as she went, and waited for John at the end of the room. He, of course, took his sweet time.</p><p> </p><p>As they walked into the next room, they both noticed the training dummy. Frisk was curious what he’d say.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, kid. If there’s people down here, there’s no guarantee they’ll be all that friendly, and there’s no guarantee that I'll be with you. Now, some of them might try to hurt you or something, and if they do, you should scream for help and run. If I’m near enough to hear, which I should be, I’ll come and help.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh. That was… significantly less optimistic than Toriel. Then again, he didn’t know much about the Underground, and didn’t even know monsters existed yet. She hoped that they found Toriel soon, because otherwise he was almost certainly-</p><p> </p><p>“If you can’t run for some reason, you’ll need to fight. In that case, stall for time so that I can bail you out. You can just scream and swing wildly for that. If I’m takin’ too long, that stick looks sturdy enough to do some damage, so you should start aiming for either the ankles, shins, or groin. Those’ll be easy enough for you to reach, and still be painful enough to discourage just about anyone, if you land a solid enough hit.”</p><p> </p><p>-Not <em> almost </em> certainly, <em> certainly </em> certainly going to hurt someone.</p><p> </p><p>“Kid. You see that dummy over there? Take a swing at it. I just want to see if you can muster up enough force to defend yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>Frisk didn’t want to, knowing full well that it was a sentient ghost’s home, but she couldn’t very well tell him that yet, could she? Didn’t want him to think she was crazy, yet. She had to be careful.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t want to hurt it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kid, don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Dummies are meant to take a beating, just so long as you’re not <em> trying </em> to break it. N’ I don’t think you want to break it.”</p><p> </p><p>Maybe she could do what she did with Undyne? She took a weak swing, lightly tapping the Dummy.</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, I know you can swing harder than that. If <em> any </em> of that weight I felt trying to pick you up was muscle, at least.”</p><p> </p><p>Frisk sighed internally. Well, it wouldn’t <em> actually </em> hurt someone. Sorry, Dummy. She took a hard swing and… it was fine? That was very… odd. This was the first time, in all of her resets, that the dummy hadn’t been wrecked while attacking it. Then again, it was the first time she’d been told to attack it. She still felt guilty.</p><p> </p><p>“Good swing Frisk! I knew you had it in you!”</p><p> </p><p>Despite the congratulatory (or maybe because of) tone, Frisk flinched when he said that. He didn’t notice, or if he did, didn’t say anything.</p><p> </p><p>“That was a great swing, surprisingly good form, good amount of force, ‘specially from someone your size. I’ve seen adults make weaker swings.”</p><p> </p><p>The praise made her feel sick to her stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“...Let’s hope that you only have to use it to play baseball, eh?”</p><p> </p><p>Did he finally notice, or was he going to say that anyway?</p><p> </p><p>“c-can we go now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure.”</p><p> </p><p>==================================================================</p><p> </p><p>He was concerned. Not about their pacifism, he could understand that, it was a good, even great thing. He’d been like that as a kid.</p><p> </p><p>But about how they just… broke down at the very idea of hurting anything. Of fighting back. They were trying to stay calm when he asked them to take a swing. Keyword being <em>trying </em>. They stopped trying after actually taking a swing.</p><p> </p><p>And seeing them teetering on the brink of the pit… they seemed <em>shocked </em>that someone would try and help them.</p><p> </p><p>Something had happened to the kid. He was going to keep an eye out for them once they got out of here, two eyes if they could spare them.</p><p> </p><p>==================================================================</p><p> </p><p>“Floor has a nice pattern, don’tcha think?”</p><p> </p><p>“uh huh.”</p><p> </p><p>They were starting to feel better. It wasn’t like they’d killed anyone. Not for any of the previous runs.</p><p> </p><p>So why were they so nervous? So panicked? They didn’t know. Something was going to happen, they knew it, but they couldn’t put their finger on what.</p><p> </p><p>As they both walked into the hallway that led into the spike puzzle, a Froggit jumped into their path. Oh. <em> That </em>was what she was remembering.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Fearful Froggits</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>*Froggit attacks you!</em>
</p><p>Frisk froze in place. What was going to happen? Oh god, Toriel was usually here for this, and all she had to do was look at them, butsheisn’thereandnooneknowswhotheyareyetohgo-</p><p>They were waiting for Frisk to make their move before making theirs. But Frisk wasn’t doing much of anything, so it decided to CHECK them, opting to attack later.</p><p>It didn’t have a chance to attack them before Frisk was gently pulled backward and John stepped forward.</p><p>
  <em>*Froggit spots John!</em>
  <br/>
  <em>*Froggit hops away!</em>
</p><p>“Dear Lord, that was the weirdest frog I’ve ever seen. Did you see how big it was? It was stark white, too. Felt like everything was blackn’white there for a second.”</p><p>Frisk took a moment to calm down and took some deep breaths. They were fine. Noone was dead. Not them, not a monster, not John. Breathe.</p><p>They walked into the room with the spike puzzle. She almost walked onto it before she snapped back to reality.</p><p>“Hey, kid, watch where you’re going.”</p><p>She looked down, and blanched. She literally had her foot over the spikes. She wobbled her arms, wildly leaning back and forth, before finally falling backwards and landing on her rear.</p><p>John looked on with amusement.</p><p>“Kid, I think I should lead for this one.”<br/>He walked past them, and tapped his stick on the floor. The spikes retracted.</p><p>“There we go. Hold on to the back of one of my layers, kid.”</p><p>Layers..? Frisk had been so busy thinking about the other human’s attitude, she hadn’t paid attention to what they’d been wearing. She took a moment to look, and saw that he was wearing a coat over what looked like a bathrobe, and she saw a hood so probably a hoodie too, and it was probably over a shirt as well. Why was he wearing so many layers? It was just turning onto spring on the surface (last she checked, at least) so why was he so bundled up?</p><p>“Grab on, kid. We don’t have all day.”</p><p>Frisk shook themselves out of their thoughts and grabbed on.</p><p>Rather than walking through it by memory, this went a lot slower. Every time they stepped onto a new tile, John methodically tapped every tile around them but the one that they came from to find their next step.</p><p>It was the first time Frisk had seen someone brute-force this puzzle, without avoiding it altogether.</p><p>When they came out to the other side, they saw the long hall, and began to walk down it.</p><p>“Hey, kid. Is it just me, or ‘ve you heard something since we came down here?”</p><p>Frisk looked askance at them.</p><p>“Might be the tinnitus acting up, or m’ Mp3’s broken, but I could swear that I’ve heard music down here. Didn’t notice it until recently, when that frog showed up.”</p><p>Frisk nodded. They’d noticed it too, but they’d never once actually asked about it. It was just a fact of life in the Underground. Undyne likes anime, Papyrus is a good person, the world goes black and white when you get in a fight, there’s neat music emanating from who knows where.</p><p>“‘S kinda nice. Relaxing.”</p><p>Something John said earlier finally registered.<br/>“Wait, did you just say you had an Mp3 player? Aren’t those from the ’90s? The 1990s?”</p><p>“Yup. Thank Christ for Nokia, they just recently made a comeback and are putting the flip phone and other real old stuff back in style. I could probably drop the thing off a cliff and have it be fine.”</p><p>“Wh-how?”</p><p>“Hipsters, hacking, and low prices. I could go into it, but I think I’d just bore you. Also don’t know most of it for sure. For now, all you need to know is that it’s the fresh new fad. Or it was a while ago, at least.”</p><p>Seeing as they’d been talking the entire way, they’d made it to the end of the other room without even noticing.</p><p>They walked into the next room, with the second save point of the Ruins… and a Froggit. It… wasn’t there? Odd. There should’ve been one.</p><p>Frisk saw the Save point, and decided that it was probably a good time to Save.</p><p>
  <em>*Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.</em>
</p><p>*Well hello there Chara, long time no see.</p><p>
  <em>I’ll go back to watching. We’ll talk more later, I know how uncomfortable talking like this is for you.</em>
</p><p>One would think that it would be easier to, when talking to something in your head, simply think your response. Not so, as she had to push past the mental barrier that separated the two of them. It was easier for Chara, mostly because they didn’t have to focus on things like living, which would get in the way of developing their mental communication abilities. Talking was easier, as what one said out loud, the other could hear.</p><p>But, when she needed to, she could talk without speaking.</p><p>==================================================================</p><p>John watched the kid play in the leaves. He smiled gently.</p><p>The kid’s fine now.</p><p>==================================================================</p><p>Frisk went through the “North” door, to the left of the hall where they entered.</p><p>“Hey kid, wait u- is that candy?”</p><p>The room was just as welcome a sight as ever. The flowing water granted it a very calming atmosphere, not to mention the candy. That bowl was utterly vital to their survival Underground, at least in the Ruins.</p><p>*The card says “Take one”. Take a candy?</p><p>She took a candy.</p><p>John did a little more than that. He took a long look at the bowl, picked up the card, turned it over in his fingers, put it back, and only then got a candy.</p><p>“There’s definitely people down here. Or if there isn’t, there was recently. No dust, the paper’s still crisp, and the ink hasn’t run yet. ‘S damp in this room, and the paper would’ve started getting messed up if it was in here too long.”</p><p>Frisk was surprised. She didn’t think he’d be paying attention to details like that, but, then again, she had known there were (living) people down here from the get go. She supposed that if she were looking for civilization, she’d be keeping an eye out for any sign of life as well.</p><p>They passed back through the leaf-filled Save room, and immediately turned into the room that housed the first of what Frisk called the “falling puzzles.” More emphasis on fall than puzzle, at least for the first. Actually, now that she thought about it, all of them were more fall than puzzle.</p><p>Or they would’ve been, if John’s stick didn’t break through the floor before they did. He took a couple of stumbling steps back, putting his stick in front of Frisk and holding them away from the edge.</p><p>“Thank Christ. One fall’s enough, isn’it?”</p><p>Frisk nodded.</p><p>“Hmmm. Two options. We stay here, or the more dangerous option.” He looked at Frisk, grimacing. ”Also the only viable option I can think of, if we want to keep moving forward.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I’m going to toss you to the other side, then I’m going to jump across.”</p><p>Frisk had never been tossed before. She was fairly sure that Undyne threw her once or twice, in her longer resets, but she hadn’t been tossed by the back of her shirt collar over a crumbling floor.</p><p>It hurt. Or, at least, the landing did. They were thrown horizontally, and landed on their hands and knees, which is not the optimal way to take a tumble.</p><p>“You okay?” John said, with a wince.</p><p>Frisk popped up with a grin, giving a thumbs up. They barely even felt it.</p><p>“Back up a few steps, if you would.” John said, before backing up a few steps of his own. With a running (jogging) start and a push from his stick, he made it across just fine, landing with a heavy CLANK.</p><p>Wait… people aren’t supposed to make clanking noises. Frisk resolved to ask about that later.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The asterisk is for mental speech, the italics are for Chara.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Toriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>John meets Toriel, and nothing bad happens yet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <span>==================================================================</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>3 out of 4 rocks recommend that you push them.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Heh. Best hope this one’s not the fourth, because he’s going to oblige.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>==================================================================</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They left the first rock “puzzle” behind, with a happy, quiet rock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And promptly proceeded to almost fall down another crumbling floor, again saved by John’s stick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It all looks the same. Back there, the floor looked odd where it was going to crumble, but the entire floor looks like it’s about to fall apart here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He tapped the floor, and felt it give slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never mind, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> about to fall apart.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a couple of steps to the side and tapped the floor again. There was a dull thud, and the floor gave again. He repeated it until he heard a sharp </span>
  <em>
    <span>clack</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and the floor felt solid. He took a tentative step onto it, and found that it wasn’t going to give out under his feet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kid, grab on like how you did with the spikes earlier.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Same idea?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And, of course, as he said, they simply did much the same as with the spikes. And it worked perfectly. Very, very slowly, but perfectly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In this room, there were 3 rocks to push. Frisk could swear that she heard voices in the next room, and few monsters in the ruins spoke english. Really, the only ones that did were Loox, Vegetoids, and Migosps, as well as Flowey and Toriel. Even then, of the common ones, only Loox could keep a good conversation. She was excited, but kept it in. John hadn’t noticed yet, and she wanted him to be surprised. She supposed that with as old as he was(how old was he? She didn’t know), he couldn’t hear as well as she could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both pushed one of the upper rocks each, John with his foot and some bracing from his stick, and Frisk with her low center of gravity and much determination.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess this is the last rock, eh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yup.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wanna do the honors? I could if’n you’re tired after that one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I feel great!” She couldn’t refuse, mostly because this was the troublesome one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*“WHOA there, Pardner, whole said you could push me around?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, the rock was telepathic, and not actually talking aloud. If it was, John’s first conversation with a monster would've been with them. She would rather have it be with someone like Toriel, or even Flowey. Mostly because while Flowey is an ass, he’s the sort that could be depended upon to do something. You’d expect someone who had memory of </span>
  <strike>
    <em>
      <span>most</span>
    </em>
  </strike>
  <span> all the resets to be less predictable, but it would’ve come in handy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*“Do you mind if I move you to the button over there? Oh, and can you please please please stay there? Me and my friend need to get to the other side of the spikes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*”HMM? So you’re ASKIN’ me if I WANT to be pushed? Okay, just for you, pumpkin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, she pushed him to the end. She was really proud of how she managed to optimize that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the two of them walked forward, the voices she heard became much clearer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait.” John whispered, holding her back with his stick, just after they crossed the stream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-ibbit.” A froggit, of course.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really now, Frank. I just think you’re overreacting, the only humans to Fall Down to the Underground in all my long years have been children, and never more than one at a time.” And that was definitely Toriel. It was unmistakable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ribbit ribbit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, they probably were twice your height. You are rather small, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ribbit</span>
  <em>
    <span> ribbit</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m dearly sorry, </span>
  <span>at least</span>
  <span> twice your height. If they’re much taller than that, they may very well be an adult, but I think that you may be misremembering. Fear does odd-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“RIBBIT RIBBIT!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t take that tone with me young man! I was going to be careful either way, but I’ll simply be more careful than usual. They must be scared and confused, and it’s best that I find them sooner rather than later. Especially if there’s two of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh. That was why they hadn’t encountered anyone since that one froggit. They had warned everyone as they ran away about the humans, and few monsters (In general, of course, but even more so in the ruins) were either powerful or foolhardy enough to go after TWO humans with any hope of winning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, kid,” John whispered, quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Frisk replied, just as quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go say hi. Let me do the talkin’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was okay, she never did much talking anyway. Not at first, at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John straightened up(not all the way, Frisk wasn’t sure that he could yet), wiped his forehead with his sleeve, and stepped into the next room, Frisk at their heels.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Howdy there, Miss!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>==================================================================</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John didn’t know what to expect of the woman he’d heard talking to a frog, so he steeled himself for anything. Apparently, he didn’t steel himself for enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he stepped into the room, his smile froze on his face, and his stride stopped mid step. He was not expecting a goat woman almost a head taller than him, looking at him with the same expression of shock assuredly on his face at the moment. Shock, on her part at least, quickly morphing into horror.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was tall, and had, somehow, a motherly air about her. She was wearing a long purple robe, though she was barefoot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, he might not’ve met weirder, he’d certainly met worse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She spotted something, and seemed to calm down and compose herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shoved his walking stick through one of the belt loops on his coat, shook the fog out of his head, and stuck out his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took it, her expression seeming to have calmed down into a tentative, gentle smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Toriel had listened to Frank the froggit tell her all about the “terrifying humans”, but hadn’t put much stock into it. Most humans were terrifying, if you were in an Encounter with them, and knew how powerful they were. But she was confident that the froggit, though not intentionally lying, was exaggerating. Fear warps memories, and does odd things to judgement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, the oldest human to Fall Down was 16. And never once had there been more than one human at a time. Some of the Whimsuns thought that a human’s shadow was another human, but, obviously, it wasn’t. Then again, this was a Froggit, and Froggits were significantly hardier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So, she believed there was a human. It was entirely possible for her to miss them, it had happened before. There may have even been two. It would’ve been odd, but not impossible, necessarily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But no, she had to choose this time to be suspicious. She swore up and down in her head to never disregard a Froggit’s warnings again, as they were accurate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Howdy there, Miss!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human was tall, but slightly hunched, very disheveled, and leaning on a stick. They were smiling, though their eyes, even covered by hair as they were, seemed to practically be bulging out of their head. He was wearing a coat, and from what she could see a number of other layers under it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was already steeling herself for a possible Encounter, though the friendly greeting disarmed her somewhat, she had to stay alert. Even if human children (all children really) were some of the most wonderful, amazing people she’d met, adult humans were absurdly dangerous, and often reacted with violence when in situations such as this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then she noticed the child behind him. At the sight of it, Toriel calmed down significantly. Odds were they were related, and she knew that most people, humans included, were rather reluctant to hurt someone in front of a child, especially if it was part of their family.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The human put his stick through a belt loop, shook his head, and put out his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Definitely being friendly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tried to shake off her fears and put on her usual smile. She wasn’t sure she was all that successful, but she took his hand anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>==================================================================</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John and Toriel were getting along, for now, at least. Good.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where Frisk gets to Home in what she's pretty sure is a new record, either in speed or slowness.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Nuh… uh… N-Nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is good to meet you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk was surprised at how composed Toriel was. And John for that matter. They were almost entirely certain that the only reason she hadn’t screamed and run the first time she met Toriel was because they literally saved her life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk also noticed the Froggit somehow blanching even paler and taking the opportunity to quietly hop away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you stop shaking my hand, my c-human?” Toriel asked, not impolitely, but certainly discomfited</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-oh! Sorry miss.” He stopped shaking her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just er… trying to wrap my head around this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is not a problem. Many who Fell didn’t believe their eyes at first, but they eventually came to terms with it. Maybe putting a name to my face will help you dispel some confusion. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m John. I know I've already said this,” He grinned ”But nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I almost forgot, who is this behind you?” Toriel said, her voice filling with cheer as she addressed Frisk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”  It still felt weird, though refreshing to introduce herself. She wondered if she would end up introducing herself to everyone, or-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you not wish to tell me your name, child?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ohsorryIwasjustthinkin-” She took a deep breath. ”Frisk. My name is Frisk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toriel gave a warm smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A good name, child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The smile faded somewhat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, both of you. There is a topic that, normally, I would have broached immediately. Unless you are thinking of sleeping in the leaves, I doubt you have a place to stay. I cannot, in good conscience, leave a child out in the cold.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You too, of course,” Toriel added, mostly as an afterthought, referring to John.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As such, the both of you are coming home with me. Come. I know a way around the coming puzzles, and I have much to tell you in a more comfortable setting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she turned to walk out of the room, motioning for them to follow, John noticed the cheese.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Is that your cheese?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toriel turned around, noticing the cheese that he was pointing at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I left it out for one of the mice, but they were on vacation. When they came back, it was stuck to the table. I offered to help remove it for them, but they refused my help. I think they’re too concerned for the cheese’s wellbeing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John seemed to totally ignore the relatively little sense that that statement made, and instead focused on what was clearly more important.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, seeing as they aren’t going to take it, do you mind if I do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just leave some of it behind. It was a gift, even if they aren’t using it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John had a go at lifting the cheese. Frisk had tried before. Not once had it worked. When they’d walked back here in their run where everyone reached the surface, she had used the dagger in a vain attempt to pry it off of the table, and that had resulted in nothing but failure. Chara had made a sarcastic remark at the time about them having enough determination to turn back time, but not enough to lift the cheese.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John was clearly straining. He was pulling and pushing on the cheese, hard enough to use the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So this is the immovable object in that physics question, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He got down on his knees and took a moment to inspect the block of cheese. Poking at it, trying (and failing) to scrape a bit off using his nail, and even taking a whiff of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up, having decided to change tactics. He got back out his stick, and held it in the crook of his left arm (Frisk was confused as to why he didn’t just take his hand out of his pocket) before grabbing the scratched, slightly skinnier end usually reserved for the floor with his right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a grunt of effort, he swung hard on the cheese. There was a *thud*, and a tiny, utterly miniscule crack appeared in the cheese.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey kid, can you tell me if that did anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Brilliant!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>… it was going to be a while. His focus was entirely upon the wedge of cheese, seemingly aged by the years to a level of hardness not out of place on a brick.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk took a seat, and Toriel took a seat beside her to watch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is really going at it, is he not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, Frisk, I have to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmhm”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you in any way hurt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk shook their head. ”He broke my fall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toriel’s face was inscrutable. “Have you encountered anyone?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was a frog, and a talking rock. The frog ran away when they saw him, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just when they saw him? He didn’t attack them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Wait, I mean no. er-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand, child. Do you think he is hurt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk thought for a moment. He clearly didn’t want her to know that he was hurt. Then again, that was part of what she had been hoping to find Toriel for, wasn’t it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Frisk said sadly. ”He’s good at hiding it, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will take care of it soon enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*thud*</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>*CRACK*</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk and Toriel both whipped their heads around to look at what had just happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I WIN! YES!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John was triumphantly holding up a large piece of cheese that he had broken off from the whole, his stick laying on the table, with an expression of utter glee on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m saving THIS for later! Anyway, what were we doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was bringing the two of you to my home, so that you had a place to stay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Right. Lead the way, Miss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, the three of them were off. Rather than going through the puzzles, Toriel simply brought them through a series of rarely used side passages. The only times Frisk had been in them were whenever she had taken a particularly nasty fall from the surface and Toriel was rushing them back to her house for recovery.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was obviously not the case. Or was it? If she thought that John was hurt (and he was, no matter how he hid it.) it would be much the same case. Maybe she just didn’t want to risk an encounter with curious monsters along the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Normally, the side passages were inaccessible. Frisk was almost certain that they required magic to open, but, being a human, she had no magic to speak of. Even if she could open them, she wouldn’t use them. The monsters in the Ruins were easily calmed, and usually gave her some gold for the trouble of a fight. Gold that she needed to buy food, so that she didn’t die between save points or, more importantly, fight Muffet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, they were at Toriel’s house. Or rather, the courtyard in front of the house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Home, humans! I hope you like it here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk took a moment to play in the leaves, which, as Chara would say, Filled her with Determination as they saved. They were still taking their… nap? Daydream? Head vacation? Whatever their break would be called, as they waited for her to find someplace quiet to talk to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Frisk walked into the house, she caught a conversation to her left, and her curiosity meant that she couldn’t resist the opportunity to eavesdrop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“-onight I will make a sweet pie. Mayhaps butterscotch, or possibly cinnamon. Tomorrow, I will make a snail pie, as you and Frisk will need something with substance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t wait, haven’t had a good pie in Lord only knows how long. After all, someone sweet as you has to know their way around sugar.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-oh.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pause, presumably as Toriel processed that line. Then Frisk heard two sets of laughter coming from the living room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ahhaha. Oooh. That was a good one, John!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I saw the look on your face and couldn’t stop myself laughing!” John said, seemingly barely able to get it out over his laughter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk walked into the living room to see the two of them wiping tears from their eyes. They were too engrossed in conversation to notice her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ya know, I didn’t think it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>funny.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a matter of rarity, human. I haven’t heard a line that cheesy for the last seventy years!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John gave Toriel a clearly very exaggerated look up and down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘N you don’t even look a day older than I am!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Human, I am far, far older than I look.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> look far, far older than I am!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both broke into a fit of giggles again. John let out a sigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t had the opportunity to make a joke that bad ‘n a while, Miss. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are very welcome, John, I always enjoy a bad joke.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh do ye now? Wanna hear a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad joke?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... wanna hear it again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time Frisk was the first one laughing, even if the joke wasn’t meant for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, didn’t notice you come in kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My apologies child, I did not see you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’ okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Child, I have yet to make dinner. Do you wish to take a nap while I prepare it? It will take a while, and although normally I would’ve made it beforehand, I have not had the chance to do so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A nap sounds nice, Miss Toriel.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally Frisk would’ve called her Mom, but it didn’t feel like the time, yet. Maybe once she woke up. She had to time it so that it wasn’t awkward, like that time she tried flirting. She was still embarrassed about that, even if it technically never happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk was actually happy for the opportunity. She had been wanting to ask Chara about her thoughts for a while, and she didn’t want to do it near someone, there would be too many questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a bit weird, even if she was happy about it. Normally she was the sole focus of Toriel’s attention, but, then again, it wasn’t like there had ever been </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> human to occupy Toriel’s attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go down the hall to the right of the front door, then enter the first door to the left in the hallway. There will be an empty room, and you may rest there. I will wake you soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk went off to her room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once she arrived, Frisk heard the faint mumble of conversation picking back up in the living room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chara, are you still taking a nap?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was going to try and fit this in but I didn't want to shoehorn it.</p><p>“What do cows call a bet?<br/>"What?"<br/>"Dairy!”</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Making Conversation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where conversation is made.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>No, I’m not, thanks for asking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chara had finally gotten up from their nap, and was ready to have a talk with Frisk again. They even managed to project themselves in front of Frisk as she took a seat on the bed. It was simple, not much more than their most important features outlined in red on black, but Chara had always said that it “fit” them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what do you think of him now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I reserve my </span>
  </em>
  <span>objective</span>
  <em>
    <span> judgment for now. I don’t like humans, Frisk, and we both know you’re the exception to the rule,</span>
  </em>
  <span> they said, pointing a hazy finger at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s your subjective judgment then, if you want to use fancy words like that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>C’mon, that isn’t even that big of a word! </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chara went silent for a moment, arms crossed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I think he’s going to be a problem. He doesn’t know how Fights work yet, and he won't be as merciful as you are without prompting. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I</span>
  <em>
    <span> wouldn’t. I don’t trust him not to make you end up forcing a reset, even if he gets shown what to do.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, he seems nice!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Seems is the keyword. Seems. Muffet seemed nice, until she tried to eat us.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And? We still made friends with her afterward!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Through bribery.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can we get back on topic?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you think of how he dealt with the puzzles?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Papyrus will either hate him or love him, no inbetween.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’ll love him, guaranteed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Willing to put your money where your mouth is?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have money.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay, willing to put your empty pockets where your mouth is?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you have in mind? Eat ourselves sick on chocolate again if you win?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>N-No! I just want free reign over the body for a little bit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>C’mon, just a little while.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... tell me why.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just want to make some conversation, no big deal.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chara, if you wanted to talk to someone you could’ve just asked.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, but I want the driver’s seat. Total control, you can take a nap for a couple of hours and I can do some talking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s something bet worthy, then. But what if I win? Hmmm...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mayb-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I win, I get to watch whatever it is that you’re doing. I wouldn’t want to stop you from doing it if it’s that important to you, after all,” she said, smugly. Frisk had managed to land on the one thing that would actually make the bet have stakes, rather than just a passive attempt to get a chance to “drive” the body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frisk could feel Chara weighing her options. On one hand, she seemed to really want this. On the other hand, she seemed to want it to be private even more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fine. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm? You’re taking the bet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yes. Have it your way, partner, the bet is on!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, the two of them took their nap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>==================================================================</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“John, now that Frisk is in bed… I need to speak with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about, miss?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Take a seat with one of the chairs at the table. It will be a while.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’ okay. Don’t mind standing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John had picked up on Toriel’s tone. It sounded concerned, though for what reason, he didn’t know.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to know a few things about you, if you are to remain here, for any length of time. For the first, why did you fall? I would normally get acquainted, first, but I don’t have the time in this case. Your case.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...The kid was on the edge of the hole.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pardon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Either curiosity was about to kill the cat or they were about to take a long walk into thin air. I’m not going to let a kid fall down a hole on my watch, so I grabbed them before they could fall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But yet you are down here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kid’s heavier than you’d think, and the rock’s weaker. It crumbled and we both ended up taking a dive. Made sure to be the one to take the brunt of the landing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a pause in the conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very well, John. You seem to be of good character.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>”Thanks..?” John replied, confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I needed to know that you were not going to abuse the information that I am about to give you. It is very, very important, so listen closely.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go on...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Monsters like myself are very fragile, at least in comparison to humans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John leaned forward, giving a very exaggerated look up and down at Toriel, before raising his eyebrow. Not that Toriel could see the latter, it’d been far too long since he’d had a haircut, and she could barely see his eyes through the curtain of hair, but she got the message.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know I do not look fragile, but it is not entirely physical. It is about intent as much as force, and humans are very good at summoning up the intent to harm when they need to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I see. Don’t worry, if everyone down here’s ‘s nice as you are, I don’t think I’d have a reason to hurt anyone.“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is exactly the problem. Outside of the Ruins, Humans are not...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toriel paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to put it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...well received.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why is that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is a long story, and one that I will make short for the sake of brevity. There was a war between monsters and humans, long, long ago. It went terribly bad for the monsters, and they were forced underground. They tried to leave, and they found humans waiting for them. The humans cast a mighty spell, and with the sacrifice of the seven souls who cast it, created The Barrier. We have been trapped ever since.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And monsters are still holding a grudge?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Not over that. That was long forgiven, at least by most. More recent tragedies are the cause of this rampant hate. Many monsters will attack humans that fall down to the Underground. Sometimes out of malice, sometimes out of duty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And with how fragile monsters are, you’re worried that some hotshot gloryhound too brave for their own good is going to try to kill me n’ end up being the one six feet under.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“An accurate summation of my worries, John. Although, I do not think you will have much to worry about. Most monsters here in the Ruins will not threaten you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what was the point of this conversation then? If it’s not really much to worry about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because I needed to tell you and teach you how to Act, in the event that something </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> happen. I needed to know that you were a decent person, and I also needed you to know that that is why I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave the Ruins.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>John took a long look at Toriel. She seemed nervous, sitting in that chair. He gave a deep, slow nod.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t mind, miss. I’ve not been on the receiving end of hospitality like this for a long time, and I’m not just going to leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> to have the dubious honor of being public enemy number one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful. I will make some room for you, and all three of us can stay here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t go speaking for Frisk now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pardon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They have a life up top that they’ll probably want to go back to. Now, I get the feeling that it might not have been the best of lives, but better the life you know, eh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Toriel asked, concern for the child creeping into her voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kids don’t go poking around holes as high up the mountain as the one we took a dive from unless </span>
  <em>
    <span>something’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> wrong. You have to make an effort to get that high up, and then you have to go poking around in a cave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Heavy topic, isn’t it?” he said, with a thin, wry smile. ”I’d say it’d be best not to speculate. I’m a pessimist, after all, and it could well be that they're just too curious for their own good. I know I used to be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Let us move on to happier topics. Or, to be more accurate, your health.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What d’you mean? I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am entirely certain that the only reason you chose to stand is because you’d fall unconscious if you sat down, and that the only reason you’re still standing is that stick of yours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need my stick!” Came the weak protest. Toriel had seen it plenty of times before, you tell someone that they’re hurt, their pride demands that they say otherwise, you ask them to prove it and then they promptly collapse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, she was hoping to avoid the last bit, at least. That’s why she stood up before asking her next question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then hand me the stick, please.“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He held it out for her to take by the end, which she did, now holding it upright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See? I’m fiiine,” he said, with a dismissive wave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very well. Come over here and take back your stick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t you just hand it back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Humor me, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At his first step, Toriel’s worries were starting to abate. Maybe Frisk was just a bit too concerned. At his third, they were almost gone. By his fifth, she was rushing forward to stop him from falling over.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. sans.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Where we get a perspective from Sans, for a bit.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy new years!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sans woke up, earlier than usual. Much earlier. He threw open his curtains, because today, for some reason, he felt was going to be special, and he knew he needed to be at the top of his game for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well. More special than what usually happened today, considering what he knew was coming to town today. Or, rather, who.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was odd, though, normally he wasn’t this… </span>
  <em>
    <span>energetic</span>
  </em>
  <span> when the day rolled around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took a quick shortcut to the basement to turn on the machine and let it start collecting timeline data for the upcoming hours. Be best to know whether the odd readings he’d been getting had changed recently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another shortcut. To the kitchen table this time, he knew Papyrus would already be up, making breakfast (He always would, Papyrus never slept through the night before the Human came), and he may as well actually be up for it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“hey pap.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“BROTHER!” came the reply, elated. After all, Sans hadn’t gotten up this early in years! “IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“watcha makin’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OATMEAL WITH DINOSAUR EGGS, OF COURSE!“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“woah, is there some kinda special occasion?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I SIMPLY FELT THAT TODAY WAS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FOR SOME REASON, AND IT SEEMS THAT I WAS RIGHT!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“oh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YES, BROTHER! YOU SEEM TO HAVE FINALLY SHAKEN OFF THE PALL OF LAZINESS THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING YOUR LIFE RECENTLY!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“i don’t know about th-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU’LL ONLY BE TAKING ONE BREAK AND GETTING TO WORK ON TIME!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“hey, wai-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“YOU’LL BE JOINING ME AND UNDYNE FOR TRAINING AND COOKING PRACTICE!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“pap no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“PAPYRUS YES! I WILL HELP YOU, BROTHER, ON YOUR NEWLY STARTED JOURNEY OF SELF IMPROVEMENT!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And they bantered back and forth in the same vein as Papyrus made breakfast, and even while they were eating it. Sans got the impression that, however much he tried to play it off as a joke, Papyrus was taking the banter significantly more seriously than he was. Probably because of his tendency to joke during serious situations. Darn it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If he was going to be up this early, he may as well use the time to slack off. He made up his mind to go to the Knock Knock Door, as it was one of his favorite ways to spend the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Namely, via shortcut, just before he says the </span>
  <em>
    <span>pun</span>
  </em>
  <span>chline of his joke. Papyrus hates it when he does that even more than when he actually finishes his line, because it forces him to fill in the gaps and make the pun </span>
  <em>
    <span>himself</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“knock, knock,” he spoke to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was okay. He was used to the door not answering, even after the lady behind it started to. She has her own life, after all. So he kept at it, making jokes and answering them himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“knock, knock,”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who is there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sans’ grin, which had been steadily shrinking, grew three sizes at the reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“doorfriend”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doorfriend who?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“talking to my door friend gives me endorphins.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Is that one of your science puns?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“yep. you’re getting better at picking them out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How funny!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sans’ grin got even bigger, as he kept making bad jokes and receiving them in turn. He had fallen into the comfortable rhythm of making a joke and hearing it get a giggle, then giving a chuckle at his partner in crimes against humor’s equally terrible joke. It had been going on for a few minutes before she asked a question. One that wasn't a joke, that is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I ask you to keep a secret, my friend?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“sure,” came the reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, good...” she trailed off. Sans noticed that his friend had seemed like she’d had something on her mind. Considering the date, he had a good guess.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember the promise that I asked you to make last month?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“yes..? what’s this about?” He very well knew, but it’s polite to ask. After all, this was the day when the human arrived, and she was bringing up a promise that was only related to humans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You may need to honor it sooner, rather than later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“oh.” This was the first time that he’d gotten forewarned about the human. Then again, the first and only other time he’d gotten up this early he’d promptly spent the time he’d gained trying to pass right back out again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just… Make sure to watch them. Closely. And, If I may make an amendment to the promise, try and keep them away from the more faint of heart.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“okay lady. i’ll do what i can.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, friend. It has been nice talking to you. Now, I need to take a rest, it’s been a lot of work taking care of them both.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, he heard her footsteps growing fainter as she walked away from the door. Sans Turned around to leave, before just what exactly she’d said hit him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>BOTH!?</em>
  </b>
</p>
  </div></div>
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